Uninsured Veterans and Family Members

Who are They and Where Do They Live?

One in 10 of the nation’s 12.5 million nonelderly veterans report either not having health insurance coverage or using Veterans Affairs (VA) health care, according to the 2010 American Community Survey (ACS). This report provides estimates of uninsurance among veterans and their families both nationally and at the state level, and to assess the potential for the ACA to reduce their uninsurance rates.

Key Findings

An estimated 1.3 million veterans and nearly 950,000 members of their families are uninsured, together making up 4.8 percent of the nation’s 47.3 million uninsured in 2010.

Forty-one percent of uninsured veterans report having unmet medical needs, while nearly 34 percent have delayed care due to cost.

Just four states have uninsurance rates below 6 percent—Massachusetts, Hawaii, Vermont, and North Dakota. Meanwhile, four states—Louisiana, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana—have uninsurance rates above 14 percent.

This brief is part of the Urban Institute's Quick Strike Series. A March 2013 brief expands upon this report and examines the number of uninsured veterans who would receive coverage if their state opts to expand Medicaid.